Shoppers are returning at a pace close to pre-pandemic times – NBC10 Philadelphia
A Current report from that Downtown district shows that shoppers have returned to downtown Philadelphia stores in large numbers, returning to near pre-pandemic levels in terms of foot traffic, retail sales and new jobs.
In the annual retail report released on Monday by the CCD and the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, It found that daily foot traffic in Center City Philadelphia was about 82 percent of 2019 levels in October.
Along with this increase in pedestrian activity, the report found that more than 84 percent of downtown storefronts are open for business — up from a low of about 55 percent in April 2020 — and 80 new retail stores, restaurants and service-oriented businesses this year opened in Center City alone.
According to the CCD, another 28 businesses are expected to open soon, bringing with them jobs.
“While cities across the United States are recovering at different rates from the events of the last three years, Philadelphia continues to be at the forefront of the recovery with rising indicators in nearly every sector,” CCD President Paul R. Levy said in a statement. “Center City Philadelphia ranks fourth in average daily downtown foot traffic – behind only New York, Chicago and Boston – and is experiencing sustained increases in foot traffic, workers of all types, residents and retail occupancy.”
The return of office workers to Center City has also helped, with foot traffic from the in-person workforce up about 18 percent compared to the same period last year.
“The dense, diverse and walkable land use patterns, appealing mix of historic and modern architecture, and unparalleled public transportation access have made Center City one of the most resilient and sustainable downtowns in North America,” said Prema Katari Gupta, executive director of Center City, who shared this the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation said in a statement.
